As part of aconstruction work pile and sheet pile driving unavoidably generates vibrations.As of today construction works are often located in urban areas and along withsociety’s increasing concern of environmental impact the need for vibrationprediction prior to construction is of immediate interest. This study presents a review of the predictionmodels existing today. For prediction of ground vibrations from pile and sheetpile driving there are roughly three different types of models; empirical models,theoretical models and engineering models. A prediction model should bereliable in all cases where it is meant to be used. It is also important thatit is relatively easy to use and that the input data is easily obtained. Thisstudy concludes that, as of today, there is a lack of such a model. Today’smodels either lack in reliability or require great amounts of input data,knowledge and skills as well as time and money. The findings within this study constitutethe initial part of an on-going research project at the division of Soil- and RockMechanics at the Royal Institute of Technology in cooperation with the DevelopmentFund of the Swedish Construction Industry and NCC Construction Sweden.

Vibrations due to pile and sheet pile driving are part of a complex process involving several factors that influence both vibration magnitude and frequency. Better understanding and prediction of the vibrations generated will greatly benefit the civil engineering practice as well as the construction industry. An important component in understanding vibrations due to pile driving is to comprehend and understand working procedures and the influence of different factors. The objective is to present and discuss factors and working procedures that influence vibrations caused by pile driving, based on three current field tests and formerly presented experience from literature. It is concluded that the factors have the highest impact on ground vibrations due to pile driving are the geotechnical conditions, the vibration generated at the source, the distance from the source and the installation method.

To enable the study of the sheet pile-soil interaction during driving, it was essential to have a record of the sheet pile vibrations as well as the vibrations at depth in the surrounding soil. In this paper, an instrumentation system for vibration analysis during vibratory sheet pile driving was presented. The instrumentation system was used in a full-scale field test where vibrations were measured on the sheet pile as well as at depth in the ground. The new instrumentation system and the field test were thoroughly described. As a sheet pile was driven into the ground, vibrations were transferred both at the toe and along the shaft. Whether it was the toe or the shaft that created the largest contribution to vibrations in the ground is debated in literature. Results from the field test were presented in order to investigate the effect of the position of the sheet pile toe on the ground vibrations at depth. It was shown that, within a distance of about 1.6m from the driven sheet pile, the ground vibrations at depth were affected by the passing of the sheet pile toe. The current field test also indicated that the toe contributed to more ground vibrations than the shaft.

Vibration transfer between sheet pile and soil during vibratory driving is commonly modelled using theory developed for impact pile driving. However, field observations and previous literature show that a driven sheet pile vibrates both vertically and horizontally. A transfer of vibrations to adjoining sheet piles in the sheet pile wall can also be observed. Results from a full-scale field test are presented showing that driven sheet piles vibrate both horizontally as well as vertically and that vibrations to a high degree are transferred to adjoining sheet piles. Based on the results it is suggested that the common vibration transfer model is modified to better capture the real behavior of the driven sheet pile and the adjoining sheet pile wall.

Vibrations due to pile and sheet pile driving are known to cause discomfort for people, aswell as damage to nearby buildings and structures. To enable prediction of ground vibration levels itis important to acknowledge the wave patterns induced in the ground to correctly determine whichattenuation model to adopt. This paper presents wave patterns in the ground due to vibratory sheetpile driving based on field measurements from three case studies. The results show different wavepatterns in the ground. At the ground surface the wave patterns are elliptical, resembling Rayleighwaves. At depth in the soil the wave patterns are instead strongly polarized in different directions,indicating the presence of P- and S-waves. Moreover, wave patterns tend to become more irregularwith increasing distance from the source. This paper contributes to an improved understanding ofwave patterns in the ground during vibratory sheet pile driving, forming a platform for thedevelopment of a reliable prediction model.

Vibrations due to sheet pile driving are a problem in many urban areas today. Increased knowledgeof the vibration transfer process from source to nearby objects is important in order to enableminimization of induced vibrations. The transfer of vibrations from sheet pile to soil is dependent onthe sheet pile behaviour during driving. This paper presents a 3D finite element study of thebehaviour of a vibratory driven sheet pile, complementing results from a full-scale field test. Thefinite element model accounts for strain dependent soil stiffness using an equivalent linear soilmodel. The conclusion is that the sheet pile bends considerably during driving with eccentricclamping. Furthermore, it is shown that the bending mode is similar irrespective of sheet pilepenetration depth.